Stay
by chillywinterbreeze
Summary: Dean goes to a bar, hoping to pick up a girl for the night, but when he sets his sights on a woman, someone slips something into her drink. Trigger warnings will be added as needed. CURRENT TRIGGER WARNINGS: Implications of rape, brief implications of child abuse
1. Chapter 1

**Hello, Darlings! I know, I haven't updated Don't Let Him Find Out or Wayward Child in a while.. School's got me stretched in ten different directions and some jackass is spreading rumours again. Oh the joy of high school. Anyway, the inspiration fairy isn't cooperating with those stories at the moment, but I really am trying to get something out.**

**This is based on an RP I did with someone on Omegle. The prompt for that was "Dean goes into a bar and flirts with a girl. Someone has slipped a date rape drug into her drink." Set pre-series. Hope you like it.**

**Depending on whether or not anyone likes it, this may or may not end up being a multi chapter story.**

* * *

Dean scanned the bar for "hot chicks" upon arrival, his eyes settling on a dark haired woman in a pair of worn blue jeans and a leather jacket. She was sitting alone at the bar, holding a shot glass in one hand. He decided to approach her.

"So you like your liquor," the woman shrugged, not looking up at him, "Mind if I sit with you?"

She shrugged again, but looked at him this time, "Sure."

He took the stool beside her and flagged down the bartender, ordering whatever the girl had got. He got a shot glass full of whiskey, raising it to the girl, "Well, to a good night."

The girl's blue eyes flicked up to his and held his gaze as she mirrors his action and tosses back the drink, "I'm Rhiannon. Rhia for short. I didn't catch your name."

"I'm Dean," he answered with a flirty grin. Then he glanced around the bar, "If you don't mind me asking, what are you doing here alone so late at night? It'd be safer if you had someone with you."

She looked at him, eyelids slightly drooping, "I like this bar," she slurred. Dean sat back a bit. Alcohol took longer than that to take effect, and Rhia had been perfectly sober a second ago. He was dealing with something else.

"Rhia, where do you live?" he asked quietly.

"Ith'nk 've b'n drugged," she slurred. Her eyelids grew heavier, and she started to tip forward before Dean grabbed her by her shoulders.

"Think, Rhia. I need to get you out of here. What is your address?" he pleaded, not wanting to take her to the motel he was staying at.

"49 Jac'bs'n str't," she muttered before falling forward, head hitting his shoulder.

Dean tossed a small wad of cash on the counter before gathering the barely conscious Rhiannon into his arms and making his way out the door and walking towards Jacobsen Street as quickly as he could manage. He didn't like how vulnerable they were like this. If somebody came after them, he'd be completely helpless to protect them.

Three blocks down, he came to a little white house marked 49. It took him a minute to dig the key out of Rhia's pocket without dropping her, but once he did, he quickly brought her in and kicked the door shut.

All the doors were closed, so Dean laid Rhia onto the couch while he locked the door. Then he started looking for her bedroom, which turned out to be the last door in the hallway. Dean headed back into the living room and got Rhia, who was now completely unconscious, before putting her to bed.

He laid the drugged girl on her side, in case she threw up, and poured her a glass of water from the kitchen. Then, not wanting to leave her alone but also not wanting to scare her when she woke up, he sat down on the unoccupied side of the bed and started playing a game on his phone.

* * *

Six hours later, Rhia finally woke up with a fuzzy, pounding head and an awful knot in her stomach. But even with that, the first thing she noticed was the stranger sitting in her bed.

She bolted upright, an action that she learned was a mistake when a wave of dizziness washed over her. Dean seemed to notice it instantly, because he didn't hesitate to put a steady hand between her shoulder blades.

"Take it easy," he said softly, "Do you remember anything from last night?"

Rhia shook her head. He nodded and patiently explained what happened, "My name is Dean. We met at the bar last night. Somebody drugged you, so I took you home and kept an eye on you. Do you know who you are?"

She raised her eyebrows in surprise. He didn't even know her name? How did he know where she lived? Then he told her that he was making sure that the drug hadn't messed up her head, so she answered quietly.

"Rhiannon Walker."

"What's your street address?"

"49 Jacobsen Street."

He held up three fingers and made her tell him the number. Then he asked her to touch her nose with one finger, then his. Most of these tests were just annoying.

"Seems like it didn't mess anything up too badly, but I don't feel comfortable leaving you alone until I know that it's completely out of your system. That could take two or three days depending on how much you were given. Do you have anyone you could stay with?"

Rhia shook her head, "Family's dead, and I don't have any friends here."

"Is there anyone nearby? I don't want to make you uncomfortable by crashing in your house."

She shook her head again, "I don't mind letting you stay here for a few days. In fact, I agree with what you're saying. I don't want to be left alone either."

Dean jumped up and took Rhia's hand with surprising gentleness, "Okay. Then I'll stay here. You good to walk?"

She nodded yet again, but when he pulled her to her feet, she stumbled and fell against his chest, "Never mind, then," she muttered before staring up at him in concern, "My feet are numb."

"I think that's a side effect of the drug. Based on that and how fast it took effect, you probably got drugged with Ketamine."

Rubbing her temple with the hand that wasn't clutching Dean's, Rhia glanced up at him, "Okay, good. But how am I supposed to get from here to, say, the kitchen?"

The green-eyed man chuckled heartily, "I'm liking you more and more, Rhia. Two options. One: We take it slow and I make sure you don't fall. Two: I just carry you. The second one won't take as long."

Being the stubborn, independent woman that she was, Rhia grudgingly accepted being helped down the hall. She didn't even want that much assistance, but she knew that she wasn't going to get anywhere on her own.

Standing behind her, Dean held her hand and waist as he guided her down to the kitchen, where she practically collapsed into a chair.

"You hungry? I make a killer omelette," Rhia nodded quickly and Dean chuckled again, "I'll cook. Don't go anywhere, okay?" he teased. Before he did cook, though, he handed Rhia a big glass of water and ordered her to drink the whole thing.

When he emerged from the kitchen with the two steaming plates of food, Rhiannon was slumped over on the table, asleep.

* * *

**Hoped you liked it so far! Don't forget to favourite, follow and review! Even if all they say is "sup", reviews seriously make my day.**


	2. Chapter 2

_When he emerged from the kitchen with the two steaming plates of food, Rhiannon was slumped over the table, asleep._

Dean smiled to himself for a moment, watching the steady rise and fall of the girl's shoulders as she breathed. Now that he wasn't terrified that she might not wake up, he was starting to notice how beautiful she was; almost like a doll.

He didn't move for a moment, until the plates in his hands started to burn his palms and he didn't have a choice but to put them down and lay a hand on the sleeping girl's shoulder. She jumped and bolted upright, flailing her arm to attack him.

"Easy, Rhia. It's just me," he reassured, putting both of his hands in the air near his face.

"I didn't hear you come out of the kitchen," she practically whispered.

Dean chuckled, "You were asleep. And I have mad ninja skills," that drew a giggle from Rhia, even if it was short lived. He slid her plate in front of her with a soft smile, "Eat."

They did exactly that, Dean occasionally asking Rhia how she was feeling at what seemed to her like random intervals. By the time they had finished, she was sleepy again. So sleepy, in fact, that she didn't even argue when Dean picked her up and carried her down the hall, tucking her into bed.

He was surprised at how she clung to him while he carried her, like she was afraid of being dropped. When they made it into her bedroom, he had to pry her fingers from his shirt. After that she simply curled into a ball under the blankets.

Dean spent the next few minutes washing up the dishes and putting together a list of things to do. He would definitely have to check on Rhia at least a few times in the next couple hours, and he'd have to make sure that the house was completely locked up and that she was stocked on groceries for the next couple days. From what he had seen, she was good on dairy and vegetables, but there wasn't a scrap of meat in the entire house. That just wouldn't do.

After he'd written out a list of everything they'd have to buy, he settled on the couch with his gun in his hand while he stood watch. He just couldn't shake this feeling that something really bad was going to happen if he wasn't on guard.

* * *

A couple hours later, Rhia practically dragged herself down the hall, collapsing halfway through. Dean jumped up and was at her side faster than he'd ever thought possible. But, when he took her arms to haul her to her feet, Rhia pulled out of his grasp.

"I can do it by myself," she snapped, "I don't need your help for everything."

Dean blinked at her in confusion, then he realized how independent she must be. Hell, she was at the damn bar all by herself. Getting help with everything must be actually terrible. So, he let go and sat back against the wall.

"Let me know if you change your mind," he said, watching her struggle to push herself up off the floor. It took everything he had not to ignore her stubbornness and just help her up, but he had to respect her pride, at least a little.

Minutes passed, until Dean was starting to consider screwing Rhia's independent streak. She had managed to pull herself into a sitting position, but the drug had left her tiny body so weak that getting any further than that was next to impossible. As much as Dean didn't like what she was doing, he understood it. It was hard to ask for help.

After ten minutes, Rhia stopped struggling and curled into a ball on the floor. Dean glanced up, concerned that she might be sick or in pain, but he couldn't tell with her head buried in her knees. He studied what he could see and quickly realized that her shoulders were shaking with little sobs.

Crying girls weren't anything he wasn't used to dealing with, but normally he was on the other end of an FBI badge, working a case. It had never been his job to _comfort_ them, just hand them a tissue at the most. But he couldn't do that here. This wasn't just get the information and leave 'em to grieve, this girl was under his care right now.

Rhia curled up tighter, sniffling quietly, and a feeling of self-loathing washed over him. What the hell was he doing? He crawled over so that he was sitting beside her and awkwardly placed a hand on her back, rubbing gentle circles. She tensed under his touch at first, not relaxing for a couple seconds.

"I'm so fucking helpless," she finally sobbed, "I would've been so helpless."

Dean didn't know what to do, so he did the first thing that came into his mind and pulled her into his arms, cradling the girl's slight form against his chest, "It's okay now. Everything's gonna be okay now."

They sat there for well over an hour, Rhia sobbing her fears into Dean's chest, Dean holding her and whispering reassurances. Honestly, he thought the whole thing looked like a scene from a chick flick, but he didn't really mind it all that much. As long as Rhia felt better.

* * *

Dean slept on the couch that night, but he didn't sleep much. Every couple of hours, he would jolt awake, afraid that someone had broken in while he dozed. Rhia didn't know he was there; she had fallen asleep hours ago in his arms. The damn drug had taken so much out of her.

At about 2 am, he checked on Rhia, who was sleeping somewhat fitfully. He didn't wake her, but stroking her hair a couple times seemed to quell the nightmare. The house was still locked. She was still safe.

Settling back down on the couch, Dean tried to reason with himself. _The house is still locked, Rhia's safe. Nobody's here._

_**She could've been raped**__, _a little voice reasoned in the back of his head, _**just like that woman. You couldn't save **_**her.**

_I was just a kid. I couldn't have saved her._

_**THAT'S NO EXCUSE!**_ Dean winced out loud at the intensity of his own mind, _**All you had to do was go get Dad, but you were too **_**scared. **_**Like a little bitch. **_

_He was drinking, you know what that would've meant. He wouldn't have been careful. People would've noticed the marks._

_**You let a woman be raped and **_**murdered **_**because you were too scared of Dad taking a couple of swings at you? You're pathetic.**_

_I was ten years old!_

_**You watched her die. You stood over her and she begged you to save her. But you didn't even speak.**_

_I didn't know what to do. It wasn't my fault. It wasn't my fault._

_**You stood there and watched the life drain out of her and you can't even remember her name. You're just as responsible as the guy who killed her.**_

"I'm sorry!" he cried aloud, tears starting to form in his eyes. Blinking fast, he buried his face in his hands and tried to control his breathing. He had messed up that night in the alley, and an innocent woman had been murdered because of it. That wouldn't happen with Rhia.

It wasn't that he had feelings for the woman. Sure, she was hot, but that wasn't why he was being so protective of her. Honestly, seeing the drug take hold on her had terrified him and brought him back to that day in the alley. If that ever happened again, he didn't know how he'd survive it.

* * *

**Hello my lovelies! Back by popular demand (i.e. the four wonderful people who followed/favourited), here is Chapter 2 of Stay. I have decided that this will indeed be a multi-chapter story, although Wayward Child is my main project. This is going to be on the metaphorical back burner, but I promise you that it will not be neglected. I swear on my dead fish's soul that I will update this story.**

**I modeled the whole argument between Dean and his inner self hate voice after the confrontation in **_**I Dream a Little Dream of Me. **_**Let me know what you think of it. :)**

**Don't forget to favourite, follow and review! Reviews make me happier than a puppy after his first snowstorm. (don't question these. they're weird)**


	3. Chapter 3

Rhia woke up in her bed the next morning, already having decided that she absolutely _was not_ going to call Dean, no matter how hard it was for her to walk on her own. Sitting up somewhat groggily, she swung her legs onto the floor and cautiously stood up.

The numbness was gone, and about time too. Taking a slow step forward, she let go of the bedpost and started to get dressed. It felt wonderful to be back on her own feet without anyone holding her up. Plus she'd been too shy to change in front of Dean, and she hadn't been able to do anything on her own yesterday.

After she got ready, Rhia went out into living room where she found Dean sleeping on the couch. She expected him to look peaceful, but he didn't. His arms were crossed protectively over his chest, and his face was contorted like he was in pain. Even still, Rhia couldn't help but stand there and watch him sleep for a moment until a quiet whimper escaped his lips.

Gently rubbing his shoulder, she tried to coax Dean from his nightmare. It didn't take long. After about three seconds, Dean shot up and grabbed Rhia by her throat. When he saw who he was attacking, he quickly released her with a string of apologies.

"I'm so sorry, Rhia. I was sleeping and I didn't realize it was you. I thought-"

"You don't have to explain yourself to me," she interrupted, "I'm fine. Must've been some nightmare, though."

He nodded, swallowing thickly and jumping up, "So I see you're back on your feet."

Rhia forced a grin, despite the worry that was building up. She knew the signs of emotional trauma all too well, and Dean may have been good at hiding it, but they were there. What had happened to this man?

Even still, if he didn't want to talk about it, she wasn't going to force him, "Indeed, I am. And _I _am going to make _us _some breakfast."

Dean chuckled, clearly appreciating her dropping the nightmare, "Are you now?"

"Yes, I am," she placed her hands on her hips, "Why don't you watch TV or something while I do that? I don't have cable, but I do have Netflix."

Dean shrugged, "Alright, but let me know if you need any help."

* * *

Twenty minutes later, Rhia emerged with two small stacks of pancakes covered in blueberries, "Breakfast's ready, Dean!" she sang. Dean hopped up to take one of the plates and sit her down next to him on the sofa. It was surprising how easily they functioned together, considering the fact that they'd only known each other for a couple days.

And, now that she wasn't terrified anymore, Rhia was starting to notice things about Dean. Little, insignificant things like the way his eyes twinkled when he laughed, the curve of his smile. Much more important things; the shape of his body, the way he wrapped himself around her when he held her. And the sad look he got when he thought nobody could see.

She had heard him last night, crying out and begging for forgiveness. From what, Rhia didn't know, but she had wanted nothing more than to go to him and hold him the way he'd held her earlier that night. But she'd known she'd be too weak to make it to him, and why force him to rescue her too when he was already in so much pain?

Now they were sitting on her couch, still a little warm from when he had slept on it the night before, eating blueberry pancakes and watching _Sherlock_ like they'd been best friends for years. Dean was acting like he was perfectly fine, and Rhia was struggling to let him be and not confront him about what she'd heard the night before. He didn't seem like a big fan of talking about his feelings.

"So, Dean," she asked when they'd both finished, "Do you have any stuff that you want to go get?"

Dean tried to mask the flicker of hurt that went through him. She wanted him to leave, "Naw, I didn't bring anything with me. My car's just at the bar we were at. I can get going."

"No!" Rhia exclaimed before collecting herself again, "I mean, you don't have to go. I was just asking if there was something that you might want to bring over here. Like a change of clothes or something."

"Oh," a grin tugged at the corners of Dean's mouth. She actually wanted him to stay, "Yeah, I've got some clothes and stuff in my car."

Rhia nodded and jumped up off the couch, "Well then, why don't you grab a shower and I'll find you something to wear while we go get them?"

"You got something? I'm just warning you, floral is not a good pattern on me," he joked. She giggled in response, "I've got some stuff that might fit you."

* * *

Five minutes later, Rhia knocked on the bathroom door with a clean t-shirt and sweatpants. The door opened just enough for Dean to peek through and take them, and Rhia struggled to keep her eyes off his chiseled chest while he did.

Another twenty minutes went by and Dean came out dressed in the clothes Rhia had given him.

"How do they fit?"

He shrugged, "They're a little big, but they'll work. Whose are they?"

Rhia smiled sadly, "They were my brother's."

Dean nodded and put an arm around her shoulders, "You wanna come with me or stay here?" he wasn't about to start prying.

"I'll go with you," she answered, "I don't really wanna be by myself."

He didn't ask for any explanation after that. They just started walking to the bar, his arm draped protectively around her shoulders.

* * *

When the pair reached the Impala, Rhia let out a low whistle.

"This is yours?" Dean nodded with a grin.

"Yup," he patted the roof, "She may be old, but she's still the most badass thing I've ever seen."

"She?"

"What?" he demanded with mock offense, "You're telling me that you have never decided that something was too dear to be called 'it'?"

Rhia shook her head with a laugh before climbing into the passenger's seat. Dean followed, starting the engine. Music started pouring from the stereo, and Rhia clapped her hands over her ears.

"_Taste me you will see, More is all you need, Dedicated to, how I'm killing you."_

Dean adjusted the knob, "Now you're telling me you don't like Metallica?"

Rhia shrugged. She wasn't about to tell Dean what he couldn't play in his car, "It was just really loud and I wasn't expecting it. That's all."

The ride was quiet for a second, until the awkward tension settled. Then Dean started quietly singing along. By the time they got back to Rhia's house, he was singing loudly and making outrageous faces while Rhia giggled in the passenger's seat.

_This is nice, _she thought as Dean shut off the car. She didn't know it, but Dean was thinking the exact same thing, praying that she wouldn't ask him to leave just yet.

* * *

**Hi guys! I thought that I had updated this, but apparently I just uploaded it to Doc Manager. Silly Tasha. Anyway, this chapter was pure fluff because I used it to try and cheer myself up after a crappy day at school.**

**As always, don't forget to favourite, follow and review. Reviews make me happy than a chocoholic at Hershey's!**


	4. Chapter 4

Dean had been staying with Rhia for just over two weeks now. He didn't know why; it didn't even seem like something that he should be interested in doing. He was a love 'em and leave 'em kind of guy. One night, no breakfast, no strings attached. Not to mention that he hadn't even tried to climb into Rhia's bed, not even once.

They had quickly fallen into a steady rhythm together. Every morning, Dean made them breakfast while Rhia got ready to go to work at the diner down the street. They'd eat together, he'd see her off, then he'd watch TV for an hour or so before busying himself with cleaning or cooking. She'd never asked him to do anything, but it seemed right and Rhia seemed to like coming home to a clean house with a hot meal on the table.

What were scaring him, though, were the feelings that were starting to bubble up. From the very start, Dean had noticed that she was sexy, but he hadn't noticed what made her beautiful. Things like the swell of her breasts or the curve of her waist had been what first caught his eye, but he hadn't paid much attention to the things that were starting to captivate him now. The sparkle in her eyes, the sound of her laugh, the way she tucked the always-in-the-way lock of hair behind her ear.

He shouldn't be feeling things like that. He wasn't _allowed_ to feel things like that. All the times in the past that he'd let himself have feelings for anyone, it had never ended well. Sometimes they even ended in death. No, he couldn't let that happen to Rhia. She was special. She was worth so much more, she deserved so much more than anything he could give her.

A sharp sting brought him back from his thoughts. Dean set down the knife he was using to chop a zucchini and stared at the little wound on his finger. It wasn't too deep, just a nick deep enough for a couple drops of blood, but it reminded him of the life he had been living before. All the blood and the pain and the fear and the blood. God, there was so much blood. He had hated it; he still hated it. But, it was the life he'd been raised in.

A week ago, he couldn't have imagined anything different, but now he didn't want to go back to it. He wanted this life. The one he had started building with Rhia, even if it was just starting out. He wanted to spend his afternoons chopping zucchini and watching TV while the only woman in his life slowly fell asleep against his side. He wanted to get a normal job. Hell, maybe he would even go back to school. He wanted to go to bed every night knowing that there would be someone to wake him up when his mind tried to tear him apart in his sleep. Was that so wrong?

Maybe it was. Maybe it would be better for them both if he just packed up his few belongings and left in the middle of the night.

The front door slammed shut and Dean heard light footsteps running down the hall into the bathroom. He checked the clock; Rhia wasn't supposed to be home for another two hours. So why was her purse slung by the front door?

Dean stood in front of the bathroom door, "Rhia?"

No response.

"Rhia, open the door."

Still nothing, aside from the brief running of a faucet. Worry was quickly wearing on his nerves.

"Rhia, open the door or I'm breaking it down." This time the lock clicked open and the door swung open. Rhia stood, topless, facing away from him. Her arms were wrapped protectively around herself, shoulders shaking just a little.

"Rhia?" he asked gently, "What happened?" Rhia shook her head, but refused to elaborate. Dean needed to see what was going on, but even he knew better than to turn her to face him. A ball of acid had gathered in his gut, waiting to be expelled if the answer was what he feared it might be. Then he saw the angry red patch curving around her torso.

"Baby, what happened? Who hurt you?" he begged gently. It took every ounce of his self control to keep him from shouting, he was so angry, "Show me what happened."

She finally turned around, arms crossed protectively over her bare breasts. Dean's eyes widened as he saw the ugly burn covering the right side of her chest and stomach. He was going to _brutally_ murder whoever had done this.

"Some jackass thought his soup was too hot and decided it would look good on my uniform," she explained while Dean turned on the shower.

"Well he was wrong," he muttered. Stepping into the freezing water, Dean pulled the burned woman in with him so that she faced into the stream.

"You have to put your arms down so that you can get cooled down," he gently reminded her. She shook her head and he revised, "I'm not in here to check you out, I'm in here in case you go into shock."

Slowly, as if she didn't believe him, Rhia lowered her arms, hissing and grabbing onto Dean's wrists when the icy water touched her exposed breasts. Her grip was tight, so much so that Dean was sure he'd have little bruises later on, but he didn't move except to lock eyes with her.

Dean Winchester was not any good at communicating without words. He was terrible at giving reassurances and worse at asking for help, but he hoped to God that she heard what he was trying to tell her. He was a broken man who had managed to be at the right place at the right time, and this brilliant woman had taken him in. She was worth more than she knew, more than he could measure, and unless she decided she didn't want him, he would stay with her for as long as he could stand to.

Rhiannon Walker held his life in her little hands.

* * *

**Yet another "Cheer myself up after a crappy day" chapter. School sucks. I apologize if this is a bit too sappy for you guys, but I really wanted to write something super sappy for some reason, so you get this. I know I said that this was going to be on the "back burner", but I guess the inspiration fairy is just with this story right now. **

**As always, don't forget to favourite, follow and review. Reviews make me happier than a duckling in a puddle!**


	5. Chapter 5

A couple of days after the shower incident, Rhia awoke in her bed to Dean's screams. She'd heard his nightmares before on the first night he slept there, but these were different. They sounded more broken, more hollow, echoing through the little apartment like a siren.

She couldn't listen to it. Blinking back tears, Rhia tore off her blankets and rushed down the little hallway to kneel beside the sleeping man. He moaned again, crying out apologies and begging for forgiveness from something that she couldn't see. She shook his shoulders and called his name, but he only lashed out, probably thinking that she was a part of his nightmare.

Dean thrashed in his sleep, begging for the pain to stop. It was too much. Tears sprung to Rhia's eyes and in a moment of desperation, she crashed her lips against his in an attempt to pull him from his dream. It worked, and after a moment of stillness he gently kissed her back.

"What's that for?" he asked, wide eyed, after they'd pulled away.

Rhia shook her head, "I couldn't wake you up."

Dean pulled himself up onto his elbows, scrubbing a hand down his face, "Glad it worked."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"No."

"Do you want me to leave you alone?"

"No."

He was shutting down. Rhia could see that. Whatever he had dreamt, it had been horrible enough to affect him like this, but he still wanted to keep it a secret for some reason. She placed her hand over his and squeezed it gently to get his attention. He looked up at her, eyes still wild with fear, "Come stay with me tonight." She stood up, tugging at him to follow. He did, staring at their hands, and Rhia led him to her bed.

They curled up, both clinging to their own side of the bed. Rhia was perfectly comfortable, but Dean was still uneasy from the dream he'd had.

"Can I hold you?" he whispered so quietly that Rhia wasn't sure she'd heard anything at all.

"What'd you say?"

"Nothing, nevermind."

Rhia turned over to face him and propped herself up on her elbow, "No, tell me what you need."

Dean didn't repeat the question for a few moments. Dean Winchester did not ask to cuddle. He asked for sex or booze to forget his problems. He did not seek comfort for them, but right now he really needed it.

When he did finally manage to coax the question out of himself again, he expected Rhia to turn him down. She had already given him so much, it wasn't fair of him to ask for any more. But she didn't. Much to Dean's surprise, she laid a hand on his shoulder, gently turning him onto his back. Then she pressed a gentle kiss onto his jaw and curled up in his arms.

Dean held her, tightening his grip every now and then as flashbacks raced through his mind. Every time, Rhia would rub soothing circles into his chest and whisper reassurances, wishing to God that she could take away his pain. Her ministrations put him to sleep eventually, but she stayed awake for a long time after. What if he woke up from another nightmare and didn't want to wake her? It seemed like something he would do. She couldn't let that him deal with it alone, not when whatever it was was so horrible.

Sleep won over, though, and Rhia was asleep when the birds started coming out.

* * *

Dean woke up warm and comfortable, but he didn't really know where he was. Then it came rushing back to him. The nightmare, Rhia. They hadn't done anything, had they? No, he could still feel his sweatpants. Had they really kissed? Why would she kiss him of all people? It couldn't have happened. He must've dreamt it.

Rhia was curled up on his chest. He remembered his first night here when he'd sat waiting for her to wake up from her drug induced haze. He'd been terrified that she might not wake up, that she might die under his watch like so many others had before. She had looked peaceful then, but now her eyebrows were scrunched up, her mouth tensed just a little.

She'd probably ask him about what he'd dreamt about when she woke up. He knew that, but he wouldn't be able to tell her anything. If he did, she'd probably think he was nuts. There was still someone he could talk to.

Gently as he could, Dean lifted Rhia off his chest and laid her on the mattress next to him. Trying not to shift the bed too much, he got up and shut the door behind him before pulling out his cell phone. His heart sank when he saw that there were no calls from Dad, even though he hadn't touched it in almost three weeks. Dean called someone else though.

It rang three times before a groggy voice answered, "Sam Winchester."

"Sammy?" something creaked suddenly on the other end, and he could picture his brother jumping up out of bed to go somewhere private.

"Dean?" the younger man sounded much more awake now, "Are you alright? Did something happen?"

"No, nothing happened," he hesitated, swallowing the lump that had started to form in his throat, "I just really wanted to hear your voice, man."

"Dean, tell me what happened."

He chuckled nervously, "It was nothing, just a stupid dream. I just wanted to check on you. Anyway, how's school?"

Sam sighed, clearly not buying it, "School's fine. What was your dream about?"

"That hunt in Tacoma, the one with the witch," he explained with a sigh after some coaxing from Sam.

"I remember. Bitch stabbed me in the chest."

Dean nodded even though he knew Sam couldn't see him, "You were so small back then and there was so much blood. We thought you were gonna die."

"But I didn't," Sam cut him off before he could really start rambling. "You got me to a hospital and I'm fine now. Dean, what's going on? Are you on a hunt?"

"No, I'm not. I just worry about you, you know? You're by yourself there." Sam chuckled on the other line.

"Dean, I'm on a college campus, and when I'm not, my apartment is never really empty. I'm not by myself."

_But I'm not there to keep you safe, _he argued to himself before clearing his throat, "I know. I just miss you, man."

Sam sighed again, sounding almost dejected, "I know. I miss you too."

An awkward silence filled the space. Sam cleared his throat, "Why don't you come for a visit this weekend?"

The younger man couldn't see it, but Dean's eyes lit up at the thought of seeing his baby brother, "Absolutely!" he exclaimed before clearing his throat and giving a much more relaxed, "I mean, yeah, sure. If you want me to."

"Yeah," Sam chuckled, "I do. I'll text you my address and you can come on Saturday."

"You do that," Dean replied. They made to hang up until Dean remembered Rhia in the next room. But by the time he had called, "Wait, Sammy" down the line, it had already clicked dead. Groaning, he opened the text with Sam's address and sent one of his own.

**Im bringin a girl with me.**

Sam texted back within a few seconds.

_**U cannot have sex in my house. I will kick u out.**_

**Ive bn livin w/ her 4 lyk 3 weeks. Not had sex yet, but i wnt u 2 meet her.**

_**Ur living w/ a girl?!**_

Dean practically giggled before texting back, **Yes. And i rly lyk her.**

_**Wat abt Dad?**_

**Hasnt called.**

Sam took so long to reply back that Dean was sure he'd walked away.

_**Fine, but NO SEX IN MY HOUSE.**_

**Lol i hear u.**

"Who's got you grinning like a teenager with their first crush?"

Dean whirled around to see Rhia standing in the doorway, holding her cellphone up .

"Did you take a picture of me?" he demanded. She shrugged, "You were cute."

She crossed the room in a couple of steps and wrapped her arms around his waist, placing a gentle kiss on his cheek. He couldn't help staring down at her lips for a moment, wondering if they had really kissed the night before.

"Are you okay-er now?" asked Rhia, looking up at his eyes. He swallowed thickly and nodded. "Good. I was worried last night."

A moment of silence passed. God, there were a lot of those. Rhia didn't seem to mind too much, though.

As she was walking away to make some coffee, Dean finally managed to blurt out what he'd bee trying to say during their awkward silence, "Would you come with me to visit my brother?"

Rhia turned to stare at him. She knew he had a younger brother, but Dean rarely talked about him. He'd only actually brought his brother up once, when he was talking about learning to cook. He must've taken her staring as saying that she wasn't interested because he stuttered, "Sorry, driving is just boring when you're on your own and I thought that you might want to go for a little road trip."

She shook her head, "Liar."

"Yeah, a bit, but I get it if you don't want to go. I just thought that you might have wanted to get out of town for a couple of days," he explained, rubbing the back of his head uncomfortably. He half wished that he hadn't asked Rhia out loud. Why should she want to go anywhere with him?

Rhia saw all of this in his face. He felt guilty for even asking and he was terrified that she'd say no. Truth be told, she really did want to go. Dean missed his brother. Rhia could see that plain as day, written all over his face. He didn't want to go alone, in case something went wrong and he got kicked out.

"Sure," she said. Dean looked so surprised it hurt. "I've gotta run it by my boss, but of course I'll go with you."

"Great," he nodded so fast she thought his head might come off. "Great, we'll leave on Friday."

They both knew that they'd have to talk about the night before sooner rather than later, but for now they were both perfectly content with acting like it had never happened.

* * *

**Hey guys! I know this chapter is super long, but I couldn't seem to split it up in a way that I liked. **

**Also, if you are following Wayward Child: The new chapter is super late. I finished it last night, and then my computer decided that it wanted to delete the whole thing. I'll try my best to have it rewritten and up ASAP, but yeah.**

**As always, don't forget to favourite, follow and review. Reviews make me happier than a hippo at dinnertime!**


	6. Chapter 6

Friday rolled around faster than they expected. Rhia's boss had given her the time off without even bothering to ask questions, and Dean was more than excited to see his brother. The morning of, Rhia packed a bag and waited by the front door, but Dean was sitting in the bedroom.

"Hey," she knocked on the doorframe. "You ready to go see your brother?"

Dean shook his head, "Maybe this is a bad idea."

Rhia quietly sat down beside him and squeezed his shoulder, waiting for him to continue. "I mean, he walked out on us once. Why would he want to see me again?"

"Why wouldn't he?" she asked gently. "You're his family."

"Yeah, well, he doesn't really want much part in his family."

"And what do you want?" Rhia wondered, "Forget about what your brother is interested in for now. Just tell me what _you_ want."

There was a minute of silence while Dean figured out how to answer. Then he looked up at her, "I want to see my brother."

* * *

They drove for about seven hours, only stopping once or twice for food and gas. Most of the drive, they just chattered about random things, one of which included arguing about the presence of "subtext" in _Sherlock._

Dean stopped at a motel at around midnight. He left Rhia in the car to sleep while he checked in, and when he returned, he found her curled up on the bench, snuggled into the leather jacket he'd left abandoned on the seat. Seeing her brought a smile to Dean's face. She was adorable.

Putting her head in his lap, he parked the car and took her inside. Once she was tucked into the bed, he went back and got their bags. When he got back and locked up, though, he couldn't sleep. For once, the problem wasn't worry. It was excitement.

He hadn't seen Sam in over a year, and their last meeting hadn't been exactly pleasant. He'd driven his little brother to the bus stop without a word, biting back tears at the prospect of his family being torn apart. Sam had been crying too, and Dean had been too hung up in his own pain to comfort him. Now, if everything went well, he might just get his little brother back.

Rhia woke up after about an hour of pacing and muted infomercials. She didn't say anything, but she stood up and literally dragged him into the bed with her, snuggling into his chest once they'd laid down.

* * *

"Maybe we shouldn't go in."

"_Dean._"

"Seriously, he probably only asked me to come because he felt bad right then."

"Well, we're here now, and he's your _brother_. Have a little faith in him."

"Yeah, it's just -"

Dean's argument was cut off by a knock at the window. Looking up, he saw his brother leaning over the driver's side window with a goofy grin on his face, "You comin' in or are you just gonna sit there?"

The older man practically jumped out before wrapping his arms around his brother. It was heartwarming, neither Rhia nor the woman in the doorway could keep from smiling.

After they let go of each other, Sam put his arm around the other woman, "Dean, this is my girlfriend, Jessica. Jess, this is Dean."

She stepped forward and shook Dean's hand, "Sam's told me a lot about you."

"Has he now?"

Jess nodded, "Oh, yeah. He never shuts up about you."

After that, Dean introduced Rhia and the three of them headed up the stairs to the tiny apartment. It was warm and cozy inside, as opposed to the chilly autumn air outside. The couple had made pizza for lunch. Between the two men, it was gone within a few minutes. Then Sam and Dean went into the living room to catch up while Rhia and Jess chatted in the kitchen.

"So, how'd you meet her?" Dean asked, nodding towards the girls. He'd noticed how his brother's eyes lit up when he talked about his girlfriend.

"My friend, Brady, introduced us at a party," he said. "Neither of us were having a very good time, so we went to get coffee."

"Does she know?" Dean wondered.

"Does Rhia?" Sam sighed, "No, of course she doesn't know."

"Sam, you need to tell her if she's going to be in your life."

"And what if I don't?" he snapped. "Dean, I'm done with hunting. Okay? I'm out. I'm going to school, hell I've got a job. I just need to put that stuff behind me."

Dean huffed an angry breath, "You will never be out, Sammy. You're in too deep. Sooner or later, something will happen and you won't have a choice but to start up again, and if you don't tell her, she's going to get hurt."

"I won't hurt her, Dean. I love her."

"A werewolf won't consider that when it's chewing her heart out," anger flashed in Sam's eyes, turning into a deep hurt once a moment had passed, and Dean realized how what he'd said had sounded. "Sammy, man, I'm not trying to upset you or talk you into hunting again. What I'm saying is that we're dangerous. If she doesn't know how to protect herself from all the shit out there, she's going to get killed."

"There are millions of people who don't know about the supernatural, and they're just fine."

"Well, they're not with Winchesters."

Jess knocked on the doorframe, "Hey guys."

Sam ushered her into the room and she sat on his lap while Rhia settled beside Dean. The four of them fell into a pleasant conversation about snippets of Sam and Dean's childhood, but there was a bit of tension underneath. Every story told was chosen carefully, and Dean tried to insert their father into the picture whenever he could. Even still, Rhia noticed some things not adding up.

* * *

They stayed up until around one o'clock, when Jess yawned and went to make up the spare bed for Dean and Rhia. Dean followed her, leaving Rhia with Sam for a few minutes.

"So, how is it living with Dean these days? He still a pain in the ass?" Sam asked playfully. Giggling, Rhia shook her head before sobering.

"Sam, what happened between you two? He's barely mentioned you, and he got so sad when he did. I thought you had died."

He sighed, wringing his hands in his lap, "My father wanted us both to continue on the family business, but I wanted to go to college. He told me that if I walked out the door to never come back, and I did."

Rhia was stunned. What kind of a father could do that to his own son? No wonder Dean was so quiet about his brother. Based on what he'd shown over the past month or so, he probably blamed himself for it.

God, she was going to have to talk to him about this.

* * *

**Hello, my lovelies. I don't really have anything that I desperately need to inform you of, so let's cut to the conclusion.**

**As always, don't forget to favourite, follow and review. Reviews make me happier than a leprechaun with a pot o' gold!**


	7. Chapter 7

*Nervous laugh* Hey guys. It's been a while. Believe me when I say that I've been working on this for the entire time I've been gone. There's just been a toooon going on at home and I've had some trouble with writer's block. This has been the most difficult chapter to write in this story so far, but reading over it, I think I did okay.

Enjoy!

Edit: I just realized that halfway through I switched from 3rd POV to 1st POV and I couldn't leave it like that.

* * *

Dean woke up on edge from yet another nightmare. Pulling Rhia off his chest, he sat up and swung his legs off the bed. Stepping into the bathroom, he splashed water on his face and stared at the mirror.

"It was just a nightmare. You're safe. Everyone's safe. It was just a nightmare," he chanted to himself. The ritual was calming. It brought him back to the real world and tethered him there, at least until he went back to sleep.

When Dean opened the door, he was startled by his groggy brother leaning against the opposite wall, "You okay?"

The older man nodded silently, making to go back to his room with Rhia, but Sam stopped him, "I know you're having nightmares again."

"Well congratulations. You win nothing," Dean snapped. He wasn't in the mood for this crap.

Sam scoffed, pushing away from the wall and stepping directly in front of him, "You can drop the act. I know you're dying to talk about it, so get it the hell off your chest."

Dean tried to come up with a witty comeback, but for once he was at a loss. He sank down against the wall, letting his brother sit down beside him. It was silent for awhile, and when Dean finally spoke, his voice was barely at a whisper, "Tacoma."

"Dude, that was years ago. Why's it bothering you so much now? I'm fine, you're fine, that whole town is fine now."

"I know, but I almost lost you," he muttered, burying his head in his hands. Right then, everything clicked for Sam.

"You're afraid of me getting killed, aren't you?" he asked gently.

Dean nodded into his hands with a sigh, "It's my job to protect you, man. It has been since you were this big," he held a hand about a foot above the floor. "You don't have anyone here to watch your back. Anything could happen."

Sam didn't know what to say. What could he say? Dean had had his job as Sam's protector drilled into his head since he was four years old. Then Sam left and he hadn't known how to turn it off. This was all his fault.

Shifting so that he was sitting in front of his brother, Sam pulled Dean's hands away from his face and forced him to look him in the eyes, "You don't have to protect me anymore. Let me worry about staying safe. You worry about taking care of yourself."

"I don't know how to do that."

"You could start by doing something that would make you happy," Sam suggested with a chuckle, "Like going back to bed with Rhia, and staying there."

* * *

The next time Dean awoke, he wasn't afraid. Rhia was lying against his chest, keeping him warm and comfortable. Well, comfortable except for the distinct tug in his bladder, but that could be fixed easily.

They would have to leave today. Sam and Jess both had classes to study for, and Rhia had to work. By tomorrow, Dean would be back to worrying about his little brother, wishing that he could be here to protect the kid.

He didn't move until long after Rhia woke, when he planted a gentle kiss on the tip of her nose.

She giggled, "What was that for?"

"I just felt like it," he replied with a shrug, smirking at the blush that spread over her cheeks.

* * *

Jess made pancakes for breakfast. Apparently, she and Sam took turns making breakfast on Sundays. At least, that's what Sam said.

Dean went back into the main room with his brother again to talk some more, and Jess and Rhia stayed at the table.

"So, how long have you and Dean been together?" Jess asked politely. Rhia smiled.

"I don't even know if we are together," she confessed. Jess looked confused so she elaborated. "We met at a bar and some guy drugged me. Dean took me home and took care of me, and I guess neither of us really wanted him to leave, so he stuck around."

"Have you done anything?"

"I kissed him once. He was having a nightmare and I couldn't wake him up, and we cuddle, but that's about it."

"Huh," Jess glanced back at the boys. "Sam has nightmares too. Honestly, I think something happened to them growing up."

Rhia felt her stomach drop as she lowered her voice, "What makes you think that?"

"He has these scars all over his body," Jess explained. "He wouldn't let me see him until after we'd moved in together, you know, lights off and all, and even now he doesn't like me seeing them."

"Has he explained anything?"

"Of course not," Jess scoffed. "Sam talks about his brother, but he won't talk about their dad or about almost anything else. All he says is that Dean was more of a parent to him than his father was."

"What are you girls talking about?" They both jumped to see Dean standing in the doorway with a goofy grin on his face. "I was just coming to let you know that we have to get going soon if we're gonna get back in time for Rhia to go back to work on Tuesday."

* * *

Soon, the four of them had said our goodbyes, and we were back on the road. Dean seemed unusually quiet, listening to The Beatles playing softly on the radio.

"What's wrong?" Rhia asked gently, but she already knew what was bothering him.

"I miss my family," he replied. She was surprised to see him let down his walls so quickly, but it was good to see. He continued softly. "They keep leaving me. My mom's dead, my dad's MIA, Sammy's at college, and I end up left alone."

"I know they love you. How could they not?"

"Oh, it isn't hard," he argued. "Take my dad. I've never lived up to his expectations, not once. It's been a month since we talked. He doesn't even know if I'm alive or not, but he doesn't give a fuck."

"Dean, he may just think you're busy," she reasoned.

"If he thinks that, he's a horrible dad. Last time we spoke I wasn't exactly in the best shape," Dean scoffed.

Rhia didn't reply, trying to wrap her head around what she'd just been told.

* * *

The drive was silent the rest of the way, aside from the music playing softly. They stopped at a motel for the night, and this time Dean got them a room with two beds. Rhia wasn't having it, though, and still crawled in beside him at the end of the day.

"You know, you don't have to sleep with me tonight. Last time that was just the last room they had," he explained with a chuckle.

"Dean Winchester, how stupid do you think I am?" she demanded in mock hurt. "I know I have a choice tonight, and I picked this. Do you have a problem with it?"

"No, I just didn't expect you to want to sleep with me if you had a choice."

"Why wouldn't I want to sleep with you?" she asked, suddenly serious.

"Because you seem like a five-date kinda girl," he joked.

"I'm serious."

He sighed, and for a second she thought he was just going to turn over and go to sleep, but he answered "Because you're so far out of my league it's not even funny and I've been waiting for you to kick me to the curb for weeks."

Now he did try to roll over and drop the conversation, but for once Rhia wasn't letting it go. She'd let so many of his little shots at himself slide even though she hated them. Enough.

"I don't understand how you can have such a low opinion of yourself that you actually think I wouldn't like you," she huffed.

"And I don't understand how you actually think I'm worth liking," he countered.

Rhia was actually angry at him, "Because, you jackass, you came to my rescue when you should've just walked away. You're funny and smart and good looking and I'm getting sick of hearing you bash on yourself all the fucking time!"

Dean crashed his lips against hers so hard she would've jumped had she not been waiting for this since she'd met the guy. His hands roamed her body, learning the feel of her curves, playing with the buttons on her pajamas.

Eventually, they had to pull away for air, and Dean took the opportunity to remind Rhia between pants that they could stop if she wanted to. She responded by calling him an idiot and pulling him back against her mouth.

* * *

They were lying side by side, Dean playing with Rhia's hair while she tried to catch her breath.

"Wow," was all she could say, earning a grin from Dean.

"That good?"

"Why didn't we do that weeks ago?"

Dean didn't have an answer, so he pulled her close and kissed her forehead. As he turned out the lights, Rhia snuggled into his side, gently kissing one of the scars on his ribs. For now, everything was perfect.

* * *

Me again. I know, no smut. I decided that I didn't want to have to bump up the rating right now, since I don't even have ten chapters out yet. Maybe someday, though.

I'm not going to make promises on getting the next chapter out faster because I know that if I make a commitment I'll magically not want to write. But, I can promise that I will make a sincere effort to have it out sooner. (Edit: Chapter 8 is almost finished as of January 30, 2015. It should be up within the next few days.)

Don't forget to favourite, follow and review!


	8. Chapter 8

_For now, everything was perfect._

* * *

Dean thought he was dreaming when he woke up. His arm was asleep, circulation cut off by the head of curly dark hair on top of it. That was fine though. Without shifting the bed, he peeked under the covers at their naked bodies, just to confirm that it had been real.

A part of him was screaming to get up and take off like always. But this wasn't like always. This time, he hadn't been trying to get into her pants since they'd met. Well, he had been at first, but after that, he'd kind of lost that burning need to get laid and been comfortable just being whatever they were.

Now, he was drawing a pro/con chart in his head. That was something he should've done before they'd slept together, but better late than never. **Pros:** Rhia, the stability, the roof over his head, it was safe, he might have a future with her. **Cons: **Dad was gonna call eventually, hunting, something would probably come after him eventually, he'd have to tell Rhia about the supernatural sooner or later and she'd probably think he was crazy, his short life expectancy.

He couldn't put Rhia through all that. It wouldn't be right of him. This had been a mistake and he had to fix it.

Rhia woke up a few minutes later, planting a gentle kiss on his chest.

"Mornin'," she hummed, leaning up to kiss his jaw. Kissing her back softly, he realized that Rhia had wrapped him around her fingers to a dangerous extent. If he didn't try to make this work, he'd regret it. She might end up hating him later, but as far as Dean was concerned, it was worth it.

They got breakfast at a little diner nestled in between two shops and talked about movies while they ate. To Rhia, it was just a regular breakfast. To Dean, it was one of the most incredible things he'd ever done.

* * *

Another week passed in a blur of work and laughter and lovemaking. Dean laughed at himself for calling it that, but it wasn't just sex anymore. There was more to it now. He was happy here.

Then his cell phone rang.

"Dean, I have a case for us," no 'hello', no 'how have you been', straight down to business.

"Dad?" Dean asked, partly out of fear, partly out of shock. How long had it been since they'd spoken?

"Of course," he scoffed. "Who else would be calling you?"

There was a brief pause while Dean tried to formulate an answer, but John wasn't interested in it.

"I'm up in Maine. Looks like a vengeful spirit or two, and a nasty one at that. I'm gonna need some help so drive up."

"Right," he sighed. "Hey Dad, I'm kind of busy at the moment. Can I call you back?"

"Well, whoever she is, make it quick and head up." Dean flinched at the harshness of his father's words. Was that really what John thought of him? Just hunt and fuck?

Dean wanted to argue. He wanted to say that he'd found someone and that he was sick of hunting. He wanted to scream that he had his own life and that he was his own man, but all that came out was "Yes Sir."

Though he'd never admit it to anyone, after he'd hung up, Dean cried.

* * *

When Rhia got home a few hours later, dinner was cooked but Dean wasn't waiting for her on the couch like he normally was. For a second, she was terrified that he'd left, but the stove was on and Dean was almost obnoxiously afraid of burning her house down.

She found him sitting on the bed, writing what looked like a T-chart on a flyer from some Jehovah's Witness. The only words she could see from where she was standing were "DAD" and "RHIA" on opposite sides of the line.

"What's that for?" she asked suddenly. Dean jumped, accidentally drawing a stripe of ink across the paper. Crumpling it up, she tossed it in the garbage by the desk and grinned at her.

"Nothing serious. Is it five already?"

"Yup," Rhia nodded.

He raised an eyebrow, jumping up from the bed and kissing her mouth, "Food's done. Let's go eat."

Dinner went the same as it did every day. They ate and talked about their days, then Rhia cleared the dishes and served up the dessert.

"So what's going on with your dad?" she asked around a forkful of pie. Dean hesitated.

"Nothing. I haven't talked to him in a while."

Rhia glared at him, pointing her now empty fork at his face, "Don't lie to me, Dean. If you don't wanna talk about it then say that, but don't ever lie to me."

"How'd you know I was lying?" he asked, slack jawed. Rhia shrugged.

"I have my ways. Plus I caught a glimpse of that T-chart you were writing earlier. So, do you wanna tell me what's going on?"

Dean sighed. He really did want to tell her. He wanted her opinion and her validation, but he also didn't want her to think he was crazy. Ah, what the hell? It was gonna have to happen eventually.

"My dad did call," he confessed. "He's up in Maine and wants me to come help him out with some business."

"Why is that such a problem?"

Another sigh. "Look, Rhia, there's some stuff that you don't know about me. There's a lot you don't know, actually. If I help him, there's a chance I won't come back."

"What?"

* * *

By the time he'd finished stammering out an explanation, darkness had fallen and the ice in their drinks had melted. Rhia was having a hard time wrapping her head around it.

"If monsters are real, then how come nobody ever sees them?" she argued.

"They do," Dean explained, a little more confident now. At least she hadn't called him crazy yet. "All the time. Hell, I wouldn't be surprised if you'd served a couple at that diner you work at. Most people just rationalize it as a trick of the light or they just don't notice at all."

Her head was spinning. Dean didn't seem crazy, and he seemed completely calm, but the stuff he was saying didn't make sense. She had to find a way to figure out if what he was saying was actually true.

"Show me," she decided. Dean raised his eyebrows.

"What?"

"Show me these monsters and ghosts," she repeated.

"Rhia, I don't think that's a good idea."

"Why not?"

"Honey, it's dangerous work," it was true, but Rhia didn't know that. She was really starting to think that he might just be nuts. "You could get killed or arrested or a thousand other things could happen to you."

Rhia shrugged, unfazed. If she kicked him out without proving that he was nuts, she'd never forgive herself. "All those things could happen to you too. You don't see me telling you not to go."

"I went on my first hunt at eleven," he argued. While he was glad she hadn't kicked him out yet, this was almost as frustrating. "I started training at six. Do you even know how to shoot a gun?"

Giving him the biggest are-you-kidding-me-right-now look he'd ever gotten, Rhia reached into the bottom of her purse and pulled out a .45.

"My dad was a cop," she said simply. Dean would've asked about the "was", but the look in her eyes silenced him. Not the time.

As she got up to clear the dishes and load them for the night, she ended the discussion, "I'm coming with you, end of story. And don't even think about taking off without me."

Naturally, that's exactly what Dean tried to do. He told her they'd leave in the morning, then snuck out when she fell asleep. It sucked, but he thought he was in the clear. And he was, until his girlfriend slipped into the shotgun seat while he was loading the trunk.

"Going somewhere?" she asked as he shut the driver's side door.

"Jesus!" he yelped. "Dammit, Rhia, don't _do_ that!"

"I told you not to even think about taking off without me. What I meant was 'don't bother trying'."

"Go back to bed," he tried to order, but his heart wasn't in it and it sounded more like a plea. Rhia responded by tugging her seatbelt into the buckle.

* * *

**That's a really weird ending. I'm sorry. I just apparently planned too much and would rather break it up and save all the extra stuff because right now my brain isn't writing for what is currently relevant, it's only coming up with stuff for 50 to 60 chapters from now *crosses fingers and hopes that this story stays alive for that long***

**Don't forget to favourite, follow and review. Reviews make me happier than a whale at a plankton farm! (ooh that was really bad. i'll have a better one next time i promise.)**


	9. Chapter 9

The drive from New Mexico to Maine was already painfully long, thirty hours long with Dean's driving, but the angry silence made it feel ten times longer. Dean was pissed at Rhia for insisting on coming with him, even if he was a little proud of it. Rhia was pissed that he didn't seem to want her around. Obviously, that wasn't true at all, but it was what Rhia thought.

By the time they'd reached the motel fifteen hours later, they were both ready for the quiet to end. Rhia checked them in this time, getting a room with one bed. This night had to end in sex, whether they fought or not. If it didn't then they'd go to bed angry, and that wouldn't end well.

They didn't speak for about an hour after settling in. Then Rhia finally broke the silence.

"I can't believe you were actually gonna leave me in the middle of the night."

Dean didn't look up from the map he was studying, "I wasn't leaving you, Rhia."

"Yeah? Well what the hell do you call that?" she demanded.

"Not letting you come with me and get yourself killed," he answered simply.

"Maybe I wanted to come and 'get myself killed'.

Now he put down the map and stood up to tower over her, "If you _ever _say that again. I swear to God that I will leave you at a bus stop so fast you won't remember how you _got _there."

"Why?" Rhia let her voice rise to compensate for her small size. "Does it piss you off that I'm not interested in obeying everything you say?"

"Rhia, if you wanna die, you can go fucking die on somebody else's watch," he said, voice low. His words stung, but she could hear fear underneath his harshness. "Why do you wanna come so bad anyway?"

Now she got right up in his face, "I wanna come so bad so I can fucking believe you, you jackass."

He stepped back, "What?"

"Did you think I would believe in monsters just because you said they were real?" she demanded. "Hell no! I thought you were insane!"

"So why are you still here?!" he shouted.

"Because I don't want you to be!" she screamed. Neither of them spoke for a moment, but the next words she spoke were calm. "You literally appeared out of nowhere and swept me off my feet. You didn't seem crazy then, and you still don't, but I can't just believe in monsters just because you say I should. I need to see what you're talking about so I can know for myself whether you're actually sane or not."

Dean didn't know what to say to that. Hell, he didn't even know what to think. She _did_ think he was crazy, and he'd be lying if he said that didn't hurt. But she was trying to believe him. She hadn't run screaming from the house when he'd told her about the supernatural, and she hadn't laughed in his face. Better yet, even though she didn't believe a word he was saying, she was still trying to understand it.

"I don't know how to respond to that."

"Why not?"

He sat down on the bed and rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably, "Because now I can't just say 'so what' and leave you three towns over like I had planned. And I can't take you with me because you have absolutely no training and no clue what to do in a fight like that."

She shrugged, "So teach me."

"You can't learn how to fight the supernatural in two days," Dean scoffed. "It takes years."

"No," Rhia sat down beside him. "Tell me what to expect. Like, what are you hunting in Maine?"

"A vengeful spirit," he answered instantly. "At least, that's what we think it is."

"Okay, so what's that?"

* * *

Rhia asked about a thousand questions about spirits alone. Then they got into other kinds of monsters and she asked a thousand more. Dean answered them all, but he wasn't paying complete attention to them.

All he could think of was how amazing she must've been in school. Every question she asked was carefully thought out, and no matter how lame his answer was, she still paid him complete attention. That left him wondering why she was working in a diner instead of going to college.

Eventually, even Rhia ran out of questions and the two of them started getting ready for bed. When she emerged from the bathroom wearing a pair of plastic framed glasses, Dean almost yelped in surprise.

"You wear glasses?!"

"Yes," she said self-consciously. "Do they look bad? I'll take them off."

Dean hadn't even considered that she might be shy. He thought she looked gorgeous, with or without the little black frames on her nose.

"No, leave them," he insisted. "You look beautiful and I was just surprised. Why haven't you ever worn them before?"

"Because they're kind of ugly and I didn't want to scare you away."

Now, Dean let himself laugh at the whole situation. He'd just spent the last two hours explaining monsters to a girl who thought he'd be scared away by a pair of glasses. It was damn near comical. But, Rhia apparently didn't think so because her cheeks turned a bright shade of pink. Dipping her head low, she pulled the glasses off her nose.

That was when Dean realized that he was being a dick. He jumped up off the bed and crossed over to Rhia, pulling the glasses out of her hand. Sliding them back onto her face and planting a gentle kiss on her nose, he pulled her against his chest.

"You will never be anything but beautiful to me," he promised.

* * *

**Okay, so I'm about thirty minutes late on this, but I really did mean to have it out on Valentine's Day. Fun Fact: Apparently, if I listen to Eminem while writing, whatever I'm working on becomes laced with expletives that I later need to be edit out. **

**Now, a fair warning. We will be seeing John Winchester in the next few chapters, and my opinion of him is not a good one. He will be an asshole, as he is canonically. If you dislike asshole!John or are triggered by heavy implications child abuse, please do not read the next couple of chapters. **

**Don't forget to favourite, follow and review. Reviews make me happier than a bar owner on Valentine's Day!**


	10. Chapter 10

Dean woke up at four thirty, naked and tangled in Rhia's limbs. If they stayed on track, they'd be in Maine tomorrow. That meant that he'd finally have to tell his father about his girlfriend. He didn't know what would happen then, but there was no way it'd be good.

He managed to get up without waking Rhia and went to take a shower. Shivering under the cold water, he let the cold sink into his bones. It hurt a little and gave him goosebumps, but it distracted him from the ball of nervous energy in his gut. There were so many things that could go wrong on this. His father wasn't exactly the kindest man when it came to Dean's relationships. No, John Winchester was much more approving of his sons sleeping with random bar skanks than trying to have actual relationships.

Then there was the obvious problem: the hunt. He wasn't going to lie to himself and say that Rhia would be much other than useless on this one. She didn't know much about ghosts, aside from what he'd told her last night. She also had no experience fighting them. That meant that Dean would be worried about Rhia the whole time instead of focusing on the fight in front of him.

Turning off the water, he stepped out of the shower and dried off. Then he wrapped a towel around his waist and stepped out to get dressed.

Rhia was waiting about two inches from the bathroom door.

"Boo!" she whispered, jumping out a little. Dean startled and yelped a little. Once he realized who it was, he glared at her while she laughed, poking her tongue out between her teeth.

"Not funny, Rhia. Not funny," he grumbled back.

"Yeah it was pretty funny."

"Whatever," Dean slipped past her, and she put a hand on his shoulder to help guide him past her. His skin was so cold, it was shocking. She almost said something, but decided that this wasn't a battle worth having. At least not right now.

On the bright side, Rhia had plenty of hot water for her own shower. She didn't think she'd taken a long time, but when she got out, Dean was sitting on the bed looking impatient.

"Get dressed. We have to get moving if we're gonna make it to Maine on time," he said simply.

"Dean, it's not even five a.m. yet. We have plenty of time."

"My father is not a patient man," Dean grabbed his gun and checked the clip. It made Rhia uncomfortable to see him tuck it into his waistband, but she didn't say anything. If he was that worried, it wouldn't hurt anything to let him have it.

She picked a simple black tee-shirt and jeans. It was chilly outside, so she grabbed one of her brother's old hoodies that she'd packed. As she shed the towel to get dressed, she could feel Dean's eyes rake across her naked form.

"Like what you see, Winchester?" she teased. Dean stepped off the bed and curled his arm around her waist, pulling her in for a quick kiss.

"Of course."

* * *

They drove for hours. Rhia offered to take a turn at the wheel, but Dean still didn't trust her with his car for some reason. Sometimes it seemed like he cared more for that car than he did for her. It was to be expected, though. He didn't seem to have much else in this world.

As they got further north, it got colder. Dean seemed hesitant to turn on the heat, at least until Rhia started to shiver into her brother's sweatshirt. Then he did, and a quiet rattle sounded from the vents.

"What's that?" Rhia asked, concerned there might be a problem with the engine. Dean chuckled uncomfortably.

"That is the sound of legos in the heater," he explained. She gave him a funny look until he elaborated. "I shoved 'em in there when I was a kid. They never left."

That explained why he loved this car so much. Rhia didn't even know cars could last that long.

She wondered if her brother still drove the old Pontiac her family had owned. She doubted it.

Dean must've noticed the change in her expression because he reached over with his free hand and wrapped it around her shoulders, pulling her against him and gently rubbing her arm.

They drove in comfortable silence for a while, aside from the music playing softly on the radio. Rhia was dozing against Dean's side. If he'd been driving with his brother, he'd be asking to switch by now. But Sam was at school right now.

Besides, he needed the distraction. The idea of his dad meeting Rhia was almost making him feel sick, and he really didn't want to sit and get lost in his thoughts. There was gonna be a fight tomorrow. That was guaranteed.

After dinner, he finally gave in and let Rhia drive for a little while while he took a quick nap. She grabbed the Beatles cassette that he had stuffed at the bottom of the glove box (how the hell did she know about that?) and he fell asleep to _Hey Jude_ playing softly in his ear.

He had nightmares.

In his dreams, Dad was pissed at him again. He didn't know why, but he assumed it had something to do with him staying with Rhia and bringing her on a hunt. Some of it was memory, some of it was worry. They would get more and more intense until Rhia would shake him awake and he'd be back to resting with his head in her lap.

It was nice having someone to offer a little comfort after he woke up. Rhia was absently stroking his hair every few seconds now, whispering sweet nothings to him over the purr of the engine. She probably thought he was still asleep, but he was laying with his eyes open, staring at the steering column in front of him.

* * *

At some point, he finally drifted off into a peaceful sleep. Rhia pulled them into the motel they'd agreed on and left him in the car while she checked them in. While she was on her way back to the car, an older, obviously drunk, man tried to pick her up.

"Hey, bby. You by yersself?" he slurred, sliding his arm around her waist. This jackass was creeping her out.

"Sorry, my boyfriend is sleeping in the car," she explained. _Please just go away. _

He didn't. Instead, he pressed his face into her hair and whispered, "Hedon' gotta know what we're upta."

Now Rhia was starting to wish she hadn't left her gun in the car. One glimpse of the metal in her hand and this handsy freak would run as far and fast as he could. She was helpless like this, just hoping that _someone_ would notice the problem and give her a hand.

The car door creaked open and Dean stumbled out. He was groggy, but if this guy saw her boyfriend, he'd figure it out. Bro Code or whatever.

"Dean," she called, the man still holding onto her. Dean's eyes widened in horror.

"Dad?!"

* * *

**Hello, my lovelies. My parents are having a Netflix date in the basement, my brother's having a date upstairs, and I'm sitting here in the dark finishing this up. Gonna pretend it's a little less pathetic than it is.**

**I was trying to have this out at the beginning of the week because it's school vacation and I have no homework or anything to do at all really. And I have been working on it, I have. I've just had no energy whatsoever lately and I've just been sleeping a TOOONNNNN. What day is it again? I can't even remember anymore.**

**Just a reminder, this story will contain asshole!John. And asshole!John really is a huge asshole. If you're uncomfortable with that, or heavy implications of abuse, please step away for the next few chapters. I don't want to trigger anyone.**

**And on that note, don't forget to favourite, follow and review. Reviews make me happier than a creep with a fresh box of envelopes to lick. (thank you for the nightmares, mom)**


	11. Chapter 11

John woke up with a pounding headache and an upset stomach. _Damn booze, _he thought, groaning as he stumbled to the bathroom so he could empty his stomach into the toilet. Yup, he'd definitely gotten way too drunk last night. Someone pounded on the door, each strike sending an explosion through his head.

"Dad! Get the hell up! We have a case to work!" Dean's voice called from the other side. He must've shown up while John was blackout drunk. He heaved again, but nothing came up this time. His stomach, apparently happy with the pain it'd caused, quickly settled.

When he opened the door, the first thing he noticed was how royally pissed his son looked. Dean wasn't normally an angry man, but you'd think someone had groped his girlfriend by the way he was glaring at his father. John snorted a little at the thought of Dean with a girlfriend. The glare intensified.

"What?" John asked uncomfortably.

Dean wasn't having it, "You can explain the case at breakfast."

As they headed to their cars, he noticed the girl sitting in the backseat of the Impala. She was pretty, maybe a year or two younger than Dean, and she was most definitely _not_ a hunter. So what the hell was she doing here?

"Son, I need to talk to you," he said quietly, ignoring Dean's flinch. "Privately."

Dean's shoulders rose with tension, but he set his jaw and followed his father away from the car.

"What do you want?"

"I want to know why there's a fucking civilian in your car," John snarled. Dean flinched again, knowing from experience where this was going, but he didn't back down.

"She's my girlfriend," he said simply. His father recoiled in shock.

"What?" Dean repeated his previous statement.

"You can't have a girlfriend," John growled. He'd explained this to his son before. "You gotta focus on the job. There's no damn time for a girl."

"Why can't I take a break?" Dean demanded. "Why can't I do something that makes _me _happy for once?"

He knew the instant the words came out that he'd made a mistake. John clocked him in the face hard enough to split his lip, flooding his mouth with blood and knocking him on his ass.

"You wanna take time to fuck around with some skank? Or do you wanna find the thing that killed your mother?" he demanded.

"I can do both," Dean spat, spraying blood onto the sidewalk. He stood up, only to be punched again in the cheek. This time, he nearly blacked out from the force of it. Someone slapped his father, hard, the sound echoing through the parking lot. Dean's eyes snapped up to see Rhia standing beside John with her right hand balled into a fist. She punched him in the nose and Dean heard it crack.

"You stupid bitch!" he shouted. It looked like he was about to hit Rhia, but he settled for a glare. "Don't get involved in family affairs."

The attempt at intimidating her didn't work, and Rhia planted herself between John and his bleeding son, bracing herself for retaliation. John realized after a few minutes that she wasn't going to back down and retreated back to his room.

Rhia knelt down beside Dean and pulled a tissue out of her purse, pressing it gently against the cut on his mouth. He took it from her and spat a little more blood onto the ground.

"You okay?" she asked carefully, rubbing his knee. He nodded.

"I'm fine. Let's go get some breakfast."

* * *

Breakfast at the little diner was more awkward than Rhia ever could've imagined it. Dean was trying to pretend like he was fine, despite the pain every bite caused the cut on the inside of his lip. Rhia was seething beside him.

"I can't believe he would do that to you," she huffed around her bite of eggs. Dean looked up.

"Rhia, it's no big deal. I've had much, much worse."

"Do you even know how much worse that makes it?"

Dean sighed. She had him beat there. It did sound worse now, but his dad really wasn't a bad guy. He just had a hell of a temper. Rhia stabbed a potato hard enough to scratch the plate.

She leaned forward and let her voice drop to a whisper, "I will stay here for this hunt. I will work with him, and I will be cordial. But if he hurts you again, so help me God, I will shoot him."

He believed it. Hell, he was kinda scared by this new side of Rhia that was emerging. She was more focused, and more dangerous, than he'd previously thought.

With perfect timing, John Winchester walked through the front door and made his way over to their booth. He settled into the spot beside his son, who flinched away from him a little. John didn't notice; he was too focused on the glare Rhia was shooting him from the other side of the table.

"What exactly is your problem?" he asked politely. Rhia scoffed.

"My _problem_ is that you got all handsy with me last night, despite my saying to back off, and today I caught you beating up your son," she explained with mock patience. "That's usually a sign that you're a dick."

"Rhia, please," Dean warned. "There's no reason to pick a fight."

It was too late. John was already pissed off, "Listen to me, you little slut. You have no idea what the _hell _you're getting yourself into."

He was whispering, but the venom in his voice was still drawing attention from the other patrons in the diner. But Rhia wasn't about to let herself get pushed around.

"First of all, I'm not a slut. Even if I was, you wouldn't really have room to judge because I'm sure you've enjoyed the company of more than your fair share of bar skanks. Second of all, I'm a hell of a lot stronger than you seem to think I am."

Dean scrubbed a hand down his face as his father turned to him, "_This_ is what you're throwing your freedom away for? I mean, she's pretty, but really Dean?"

Rhia hadn't really expected him to say anything, but Dean's silence still stung. She stood up and tossed fifteen bucks on the table. "This ought to cover my meal," she spat. Walking away, she could feel the eyes on her, but she didn't dare look to see.

* * *

Dean came out a couple minutes later and found Rhia sitting on the Impala's trunk.

"I'm sorry about my dad. He can be a real dick sometimes," he offered. She shook her head.

"I'm not upset about what he said to me; I can handle that. It's the way he's walking all over you that bothers me," she leaned forward and rested her forehead on his shoulder.

"He's not-" Rhia silenced him with a look. She was right and Dean knew it. His father was definitely an asshole at times, but always looked out for him when it mattered. There were so many times that he could think of when his father had been the only thing standing between him and a bullet in the brain, sometimes literally.

Rhia sighed, "Look, Dean, this road ends badly. Whether that ending is sooner or later, relationships like the one you have with your dad end with pain. I don't wanna see that happen to you."

Dean scoffed, "Yeah, you and me both."

* * *

**Okay guys, this chapter's ending is pretty much crap, and I realize that. The only problem: I've been working on the same chapter since about two days after I posted the last one and I really need to stop working on Chapter 11. It probably won't be too too long before I put up number 12, but for now I'm so exhausted from school and this that I can barely see what I'm typing so I'm gonna take a bit of a break if that's okay. **

**This was definitely the hardest chapter of anything I've written so far, mostly because I'm not used to writing for John Winchester at all, so trying to make dialogue sound like it may actually be coming out of his mouth was really not easy for me. I'm rambling. Sorry.**

**Anyway, don't forget to favourite, follow and review! Reviews make me very very happy!**


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